Local News

A truck exits off the new Westside Parkway onto Calloway Drive South shortly after it opened.

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By The Bakersfield Californian

Q: What is the justification/rationale for there to have been two off-ramps constructed from the westbound Westside Parkway to Calloway Drive, one for northbound traffic and one for southbound traffic?

There is a stoplight at the intersection of these off-ramps and Calloway, and I have never seen more than a few cars using these off-ramps at a time, so I doubt car volume is an issue. It should be noted that there is only one off-ramp at Calloway for eastbound Westside Parkway traffic.

Most large transportation projects are designed and built to provide for the adequate flow of traffic for many years beyond the day that the facility initially opens, and that was the case for the new Westside Parkway freeway.

The environmental document for the project evaluated the future traffic volumes that were projected to be using the facility in the year 2030. These future traffic volume projections are based on the traffic model developed by the Kern Council of Governments for the Kern County region. This traffic model uses regional population and employment growth to project future traffic in the area.

The two westbound off-ramps were shown to be needed to adequately provide for the efficient operation and flow of future traffic on both the Westside Parkway and Calloway Drive. This same traffic modeling predicts that lower traffic volumes are projected to exit in the eastbound direction at Calloway Drive, both now and in the future, and that only one off-ramp is needed to adequately serve those traffic volumes.

Q: I am a commuter bicyclist and travel down Renfro Road as part of my route.

Recently they redid the street between Rosedale Highway and Brimhall Road, which I use. When riding southbound, there is a very large amount of space to safely ride, Northbound there is no room and no bike lane. They have put some temporary stripes on the roadway and no changes on the unequal amount of space from north and southbound.

Why did they not even it up to allow a bike lane on the northbound lane?

-- Kevin Ormonde

A: Kern County Roads Director Craig Pope answered:

One step at a time. The piece south of Rosedale was already widened out. When we resurfaced it we restriped and were able to mark bike lanes. The piece to the north is not wide enough and will have to be rebuilt to allow for bike lanes. Not nearly enough money this year to make that happen. We are always looking to expand the bike routes where it is safe to do so.

Q: I would like to know what they are building across from Chipotle at Laval Road exit? It looks like a restaurant.

-- Moe Adams

A: Project owner and developer Jay Patel said that indeed is a restaurant, a Mauricio's Grill & Cantina. It should be open in spring 2014.

He said following completion of the restaurant, there will be an addition to the adjacent Best Western.

Sal Avila from Mauricio's will be the tenant for the restaurant, Patel said. He said Avila also owns the restaurant on White Lane and Rosedale Highway.

MONTGOMERY WARD : It's amazing how quickly rumors circulate in this age of social media and instant messaging. On Monday, rumors were flying that the old Golden State Mall on F Street was about to be turned into a homeless center run by its new owner, Canyon Hills Assembly of God.